Coming off a record-setting junior year, Sterling kicker Ryan Gebhardt looks to be a reliable player once again for the Golden Warriors this season.

Gebhardt was second on the team in scoring last season to the since graduated Kaedon Phillips. He was 12 of 14 kicking field goals with a long of 47 yards, hitting 23 of 24 extra points for a total of 59 points.

He was an All-Western Big 6 Conference first team pick on special teams last season.

Gebhardt’s 12 field goals in a season are a school record, and his 18 field goals are the career record. He also tied Raciel Ocampo’s 2006 record with three field goals made in a game.

Now a senior, Gebhardt hopes to hopes to set the longest field goal record this season. The record is 49 yards, set by Ocampo in 2008.

Gebhardt said it feels good to be relied upon by the team. He’s been kicking on varsity since he was a freshman.

“It’s always a good feeling to get my team in good position after making a field goal,” he said. “And to get a few records under my belt felt pretty good.”

Coming from a background in soccer, he’s been kicking in football since eighth grade. He goes back and forth between soccer and football during the fall, and things have gone smoothly.

“I think that’s what made me so good, kicking in soccer my whole life,” he said. “And having a strong leg built me to be a good kicker.”

He has trained in the Chicagoland area with Chris Nendrick, a former Northern Illinois University kicker who also kicked in the Arena Football League. Gebhardt has also attended two Iowa and Illinois kicking camps to gain exposure.

Gebhardt has not yet made plans for college, but kicking in football as well as running track look to be possibilities. He ran on Sterling’s 4x200 meter relay that took second at state with Cole Stumpenhorst, Joseph Holcomb and Maurice Delacruz.

Ryan’s older brother, Jake, ran in college at Indiana and North Carolina.

Ryan’s goals this year are to get more touchbacks and extend his kicking records.

Sterling opens the season at Metamora in Week 1.

The Golden Warriors have finished with five wins in each of the last two seasons, reaching the playoffs the last 10 years.

Sterling graduated its leading receiver in Phillips, along with quarterback Drew Nettleton, but returns a stable of running backs and second leading receiver Quincy Maas.

And Gebhardt looks to be dependable whenever his name is called.

“Our team chemistry is really good,” he said. “A lot of good athletic and fast guys. We have a lot of good running backs and wide receivers.”